Es ist Zeit, die Schafe in den Bergen zu scheren.

In Erzincan, where the hot summer months are being strongly felt, the owners of small ruminants have started shearing. Previously, the wool gathered and sold is mostly being thrown away these days as it is not receiving enough attention. In Akyazı Mahallesi, which is one of the important centers of small ruminant breeding in Erzincan, the shearing season of wool has started to clean the sheep, cool them down, and increase the income obtained from animal husbandry. Animal breeders who have started the shearing period for the healthier development of small ruminants also say that they increase the efficiency this way. The shearing process, which aims to relax the sheep as the summer season intensifies and the heat increases, and to increase the meat and milk yield, is generally done in villages in a communal manner. Breeders point out that the sheared wool is only used by the animal owners for making quilts and pillows, stating that wool does not have a commercial contribution and they mostly have to throw it away.
“We are cooling down the sheep in hot summer days” Mahmut Demirol, who makes a living by small ruminant breeding, stated that when the sheep are sheared, they both cool down and contribute to their development, saying, “I have been dealing with animal husbandry profession for years. We are currently shearing. It is generally done in the summer months due to the heat of the weather. Of course, this is valid for the sheep that go to the highlands. What we are shearing now is the lambs. Lambs are sheared twice in the summer season. The reason for this is that they grow their wool early and sweat due to the excessive heat. We shear twice in the summer season for the lambs to cool down. Animals sweat a lot, so we have to shear them for them to relax. The sheared sheep show more development.”
“The sheared wool is worthless, thrown away” Serkan Beydili noted that the sheared wool is thrown away. Beydili said, “We are currently shearing the lambs. Lamb shearing is done twice a year. Lamb shearing is an important process for the development of lambs, as it increases their development 2-3 times more, so we also shear the lambs. It is done at the beginning of summer and again towards the autumn. It depends on the fattening period of the lamb. Unfortunately, we have to throw away the sheared wool. It used to be used for making quilts, pillows. Unfortunately, now they have to be thrown away. They were generally used for making threads, quilts, pillows. We use them for making quilts and pillows for ourselves. Our mothers continue to use them, but they do not have a commercial contribution. We have to throw away the remaining wool after using what we need.